JCF urged to revisit protocol for transporting prisoners

By Prince Moore    

 

Security expert Ian Roberts is recommending that the Jamaica Constabulary Force revisits its protocols on transportation of high profile prisoners to prevent a recurrence of the fatal crash involving Kevin Smith and police constable Orlando Irons.

 

Constable Irons and Smith, the head of Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries, died in the October 25, 2021 crash on the Linstead Bypass in St. Catherine.

 

Smith was arrested for the alleged murder of a congregant inside his church and was being transported to Kingston in a blue Toyota Corolla motorcar, that was part of a police convoy, when the crash occurred.

 

Constable Chevan Gordon, who was also a passenger in the ill-fated vehicle, testified in the Coroner's inquest on Thursday that Mr. Smith held on to the left shoulder of the driver, Constable Ryan Harrison, pulling him after shouting that he is from Bog Walk, St. Catherine and that he wanted to die there.

 

Constable Harrison told the judge that when Smith held on to him, it caused him to lose focus and resulted in the crash.

 

Mr. Roberts says there are lessons to be learnt from the tragic incident. 

 

"Certainly, it starts with the selection of the mode of transportation, and I would recommend then, going forward, that you have a more ideal vehicle, which would give you a little more space between where the prisoner is seated and who is operating the vehicle, and to ensure that the person who is physically escorting them, are, you know, so minded to protect themselves and their colleagues around them," he proposed. 

 

He said the seatbelt and handcuffs could be adjusted to secure the prisoner to prevent him from coming in contact with the driver of the police vehicle. 

 

"There are different ways it could have been done, if it is that he had the handcuffs in front. Also another way that they could have done it is to perhaps use the headrest and loop it through there. There are different ways that could have been considered. But I guess experience and training, you know, kind of brings wisdom to different scenarios." 

 

Mr. Roberts was speaking in an interview with Radio Jamaica News.